RALPH O. NEWCOMB

The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume III,
pg. 576
Kanawha

RALPH O. NEWCOMB. In the modern home building
era in and around Charleston Ralph O. Newcomb has fig-
ured conspicuously as a contractor and builder, and also
as an independent capitalist. His technical reputation and
his long business experience have enabled him to launch
building programs which are directly and vitally associated
with the improvement of the beautiful Kanawha Valley.

Mr. Newcomb was born at Parkman in Geauga County,
Ohio, in 1876, and was educated and passed his early
business career in Ohio. He attended the public schools
of his home town, Hiram College of Ohio, from which he
graduated A. B., attended the Ohio State University at
Columbus, and is a law graduate of the University of
Cincinnati. Mr. Newcomb did not take up the practice
of law, being diverted therefrom by active associations
with the building business at Cincinnati, beginning about
1905. He conducted a growing business as an architect
and builder at Cincinnati, and in the spring of 1918 came
to Charleston on a special mission to direct the con-
struction of a number of residences for the Libby-Owens
Glass Company at Kanawha City, one of the prosperous
industrial suburbs of Charleston. After completing this
contract, being deeply impressed by the solid and sub-
stantial character of Charleston as a city and the pos-
sibilities of its future growth and development, be de-
termined to remain and take a part in the building up
of the city and the contiguous Kanawha Valley.

The beautiful and extremely picturesque locations for
home building afforded along the river appealed strongly
to the lover of beautiful homes, and Mr. Newcomb set
about the development of Kanawha City as a residential
center. Here he has invested a large amount of capital
in the building of modern and handsome homes, most of
them on large tracts of land he purchased for this pur-
pose. Most of these residences are sold to home owners
on moderate terms.

While this has been the scene of his principal opera-
tions since coming to Charleston, Mr. Newcomb as an
architect and builder has erected a number of costly and
modern residences in Charleston itself. Among these may
be mentioned, as indicating the character of his wort,
the Joshua Davis home, Mrs. Cyrus Hall's home, the
S. B. Henshaw home, also the attractive homes of W. E.
Council and A. J. Humphreys.

Mr. Newcomb is a member of the Chamber of Com-
merce, was one of the founders of the Kanawha Country
Club of Charleston, a member and ex-president of the
Kiwanis Club, and a director of the Charleston Chapter
of the American Red Cross. He married Miss Phonsie
Weinheimer, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and has a son, Ranald
Newcomb, now attending Hiram College.

Submitted by:  vfcrook@trellis.net (Valerie F. Crook) 

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